Costumes in the Greek Era
The
Ancient Greek did not pay much attention to the appearance of their clothing.
They ensured that the garments they wore were of high functionality and simple
to carry. Any piece of their clothing could be styled in various ways so that
it fit the nature of the occasion. Summers in Greece are known to be scorching.
Hence the simple way of clothing fit well.
The
fabrics used for their clothing was often heavy wool or linen that was
imported. This fabric used was sometimes also spun right inside their homes.
The outfits worn by every member of their family were as simple as simple could
be. They consisted of a square or a rectangular piece of fabric, pins for
fastening and shoes or hats to go by with it, occasionally. The fabric would be
folded around the body, pinned together only at the side seams and belted at
the waist. The infants often wore nothing at all. The only element of
decoration involved in their garments would be the bright colours their fabrics
would be dyed in and the ornate pattern on them.
The
Greeks had different ways in which they would drape their garment around them.
This would depend on the person who wore and the kind of job or functions the
person was required to do. The tunic was a basic worn by the Greek men &
women alike. Various different types of tunics stemmed out of it. The tunic
worn by men and women differed in the length and the kind of job they did.
Depending upon the style of the garment, the tunic was often pinned at the
seams and tied at the waist.
The
tunic worn by the Greek men was called chiton. Considering the fact that men would work on
the outdoors and the hot summers Greece faced, this chiton was made out of a
lighter linen material. It would either be draped over either the shoulders or
just one. When it was draped over one shoulder, usually the left, it was known
as an exomie. This type of chiton
was usually worn for horseback riding, work, or exercise.
The type
of tunic worn by the women was called peplos.
It used to be made of a heavier wool material. It consisted of a large
rectangular piece of fabric which could be draped and fastened with button,
pins or brooches. Different ways to drape were developed to reflect different
styles. In any case, the peplos remained
a full-length garment. This is because a proper Greek woman didn’t believe in
revealing her skin.
During the colder seasons, the Greeks would
wear a cloak over their tunics. This cloak was known as himition. Just like the tunic, the himition was also made out of a rectangular piece of clothing. It
was made out of wool and was worn over the tunic like a Roman toga. The other
types of cloaks worn by the Greeks included the epiblema, a shawl worn by Greek women, and the chlamys, a short cloak worn by young Greek males.
Not a fan of the
fancy, the Greeks would wear leather sandals or boots with their tunics.
However, it wasn’t uncommon for a Greek to go barefoot for his entire life!
In addition to
covering their feet, the Greeks sometimes covered their heads as well. A Greek
man sometimes wore a petasos, a wide-brimmed hat
that helped to protect them from the summer heat. Women occasionally could be
seen wearing hats that featured high-peaked crowns. This was no doubt only for
the most special of occasions, though.
Roman Dress (no date) Available at:
http://www.roman-empire.net/society/soc-dress.html Accessed: 26th November
2015, 03: 16 am
